Holding the title of the biggest state in the US, Alaska is also one of the least populated, highlighting the vast expanse of wildlife and nature. While Alaska is perfect for those who enjoy living off the grid and want to be immersed in nature, the northern state is also a great place for filming movies, whether they are set in Alaska or science fiction. Watch these six scenic movies filmed in Alaska, and see if you can pick out certain Alaskan landscapes.
6. Big Miracle (2012)
Our sixth selection for movies filmed in Alaska is Big Miracle, which also is set in The Last Frontier state. Adam Carlson is a reporter based in a small town in Alaska, waiting for the moment he can break out onto a bigger market. When a family of gray whales gets trapped near the Arctic Circle by rapidly forming ice, the story seems like the moment he’s been looking for. Carlson teams up with Rachel Kramer, an environmental activist and ex-lover, to try and rally a coalition to save the whales before it’s too late.
–IMDb score: 6.5
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5. Wildlike (2014)
Earning the fifth spot on our movies filmed in Alaska list is Wildlike, another film set and filmed in Alaska. Mackenzie is a troubled teen sent by her struggling mother to live with her uncle in Juneau, Alaska. Her uncle seems fine enough at first, but when relations turn sour, Mackenzie is forced to flee and try to find her way back to Seattle.
Instead of getting back to the contiguous states, Mackenzie finds herself deep in the Alaskan interior with no sense of direction. Along the way, she meets a loner backpacker, Bartlett, who has scars of his own. The two band together to cross the wilderness, and try to find sanctuary in the last frontier.
–IMDb score: 6.6
4. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Fourth on our list of movies filmed in Alaska dives into the world of science fiction with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. After an explosion on their moon, the Klingons have around 50 years before their ozone layer is completely depleted. To save themselves, they must make peace with the Federation and put to bed 70 years of conflict.
When Kirk and McCoy are tasked with peace talks, they are instead convicted of eliminating the Klingon High Chancellor and imprisoned in Rura Penthe, a snow-covered labor prison camp. The Enterprise crew must help them escape their snowy chains and figure out who the real culprit is trying to sabotage the last hope for peace.
–IMDb score: 7.2
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3. Insomnia (2002)
Ranking in the top three movies filmed in Alaska is Insomnia, which is also set in The Last Frontier. In Nightmute, Alaska, a seventeen-year-old girl is found dead. As a favor to the local police chief, Los Angeles Robbery Homicide police detectives Will Dormer and Hap Eckhart assist with the investigation. While they may be renowned in the police world, both detectives face professional issues in LA.
One secret particularly affects Dormer, who begins to suffer from insomnia and delusions. One thing he is not delusional about is the killer contacting him, sparking a dangerous dance between the two that will prove to be dangerous for all involved.
–IMDb score: 7.2
2. Into the Wild (2007)
Jumping into the top two movies filmed in Alaska is Into the Wild, based on the true story of Christopher McCandless’s travels into the barren world of Alaska. After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Chris McCandless abandons the world of possessions, donates his savings account to charity, and sets off across America on a search for meaning. He meets several people along the way that shape his worldview before he hitchhikes to Alaska, planning to live his life in the wilderness.
–IMDb score: 8.1
1. The Thing (1982)
Last but not least on our list of movies filmed in Alaska is The Thing, a perfect blend of thriller and science fiction. It’s early winter in 1982 at a US research station in Antarctica. The base is suddenly buzzed by a helicopter from the Norwegian station, chasing down a dog that has escaped the base. After the helicopter goes down, the US team flies to the Norwegian base to investigate, only to find all the members dead or missing.
They do find remains of a strange creature, which turns out to be an alien life form that can take over and assimilate into other life forms, including humans. This means anyone at the base can be infected by The Thing, and tensions quickly escalate in the frozen wasteland.
–IMDb score: 8.2
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